Mars & Venus
by DesireeStorms
Summary: Horace Mahoney has been alone his entire life. Treated like an abomination, he is but a living phantom in the Mahoney junkyard. New in town, Natalie hears the rumors & is determined to find out more about him. She proves to be different than others & he soon finds himself completely under her spell. But how could someone so beautiful love something so hideous? Can he be saved?
1. Meeting the Enigma

**Disclaimer: Thir13en Ghosts belongs to Steve Beck.**

**Claimer: I own Natalie Hayes.**

**This is the first of the series I will be writing based on a few of the ghosts of Thir13en Ghosts. This one is about Horace Mahoney, but in life. These are stories about how the most horrific spirits enslaved by Cyrus Kriticos were saved by what Cyrus himself claimed to be the most powerful energy: love.**

**Chapter#1: Meeting the Enigma**

"Damn it!" She let out a long sigh of building frustration as she turned the key in the ignition for the fifth time in a row. Her car had broken down unexpectedly as she was driving back from visiting her grandmother. She had been trying to start it up again for the past five minutes or so, but all she was rewarded with was the scratching, almost painful screeches and groans from the engine.

Ticking her bottom lip out, she used it to blow upwards and move a stray strand of hair that was dangling in her eyes. Sitting up, she released another sigh of aggravation as she pushed the car door open and walked around the front of the car to pop the hood. She coughed as she was greeted with a face full of smoke, and she took a couple steps back while waving her arm in front of her to clear the offending cloud from her face. Once the smoke cleared enough for her to see, she was able to locate the problem almost immediately. The radiator cap was spilling fluid. Her shoulders slouched as a sheer dread washed over her. This was not something she had been expecting to deal with, and she was less than prepared to make repairs. The car was a hand-me-down from her father—a 1969 Mustang—and it had never given her or her father a single issue up until today. Its dark blue paintjob sparkled in the sunlight, but there was no question it could go for a good wash, too.

"Just what I need…" Sighing, she closed the hood and ran a manicured hand through her chocolate waves, contemplating her options. She'd only lived in the area for a few weeks, and she didn't know it very well yet. The actual town where she lived was still miles down the highway, and there were no buildings before then except for a gas station and a huge junkyard. The closest destination would be the junkyard. It would be about two miles of walking, but hopefully they'd be able to help her out.

Placing her hands on her hips, she turned to face the long stretch of road ahead. That was a long walk, and it was hot out. Not smoldering, but it was enough to cause a thin sweat to form on her skin. It was days like these that made her hate bras, because they turned into suffocating ovens. She had worn a black crop top and a pair of white jeans, but it did little to relieve the heat. The sun was setting steadily. It would be nightfall within the hour, but it would be a few hours before the air reached a comfortable temperature.

"This would only happen when I have to get up at 3 AM tomorrow," she grumbled, as she locked the car and walked off in the other direction. Just as she was about to start her long, hot trek, however, a sudden honking sound caused her to stop and look over her shoulder. It was as if the gods had heard her struggle, because she was presented with the sight of an old, red pickup headed in her direction. The windshield flashed when the setting sunlight hit it, and Natalie held up a hand to her eyes, squinting. They came to a slow stop when they reached her car, and she jogged across the road as the driver's window rolled down. A middle-aged man looked out at her, blue eyes squinted against the glare. He was wearing a grey uniform and worn out hat, the edges tattered and weathered.

"You okay, ma'am?" he asked her.

Natalie smiled at him, stopping a couple feet from the truck. "I'm okay. My car is the one suffering."

Nodding, he looked over at the sleek Mustang. "Nice car. 1969 Mustang?"

"Yeah. She used to be my father's. She hasn't given me a hint of trouble until today. I guess the heat got to her. I'm new around here; where I used to live it never got this hot."

He opened the door and hopped out of the truck, and he looked to her before motioning to her car. "Mind if I take a look?"

"I already know the problem. The radiator cap needs to be replaced."

"Did you test it?" he asked, walking over to the car anyway.

"No, but it's spilling fluid."

He opened the hood and examined the damage, and after a moment or so of prodding and tinkering he nodded. "Looks like that's the problem. It's not often you find a woman that knows cars."

Her silence was his cue to look up at her, and when he saw her less than impressed expression he sent her an apologetic smile.

"Sorry. It's not a bad thing. I'm impressed."

"A girl has to know how to take care of herself. I was headed towards that junkyard a few miles down the road. Would you mind giving me a lift?" she asked.

"Well, I don't see why not. I own the place after all." He smirked.

"Oh." Her eyebrows rose. "Well, that's convenient."

He chuckled and motioned to his truck. "Hop in. I'll take you there, and then I'll come back out and tow your car in for you."

"Thank you." She smiled at him, genuinely thankful. She walked back to his truck with him and climbed into the passenger's seat as he got back in the driver's. He extended his hand to her.

"James Mahoney. A pleasure to meet you, Miss…?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. How rude of me." She took his hand. "Natalie Hayes."

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Hayes."

They reached the yard within fifteen minutes, and as James got out to unlock the gate Natalie took a moment to stare up at the towering chain link fence that surrounded the entire yard. Cars stacked high, forming a jungle of rusted metal and old parts. She stared up at them with fascination as James drove them through the fence. There were so many. This place was huge.

"Okay," said James. "I'm going to go pick up your truck. My son should be able to have it running for you by tonight. We usually close around five, but we can make an exception this time." He smiled at her.

"You have a son?" She looked at him.

"Yeah. He helps me out around here."

"Where is he?"

She was curious when he seemed to almost hesitate for some reason. "He's somewhere."

"Well, I'd like to thank him if he's going to stay up late working on my car. Could you point me in his direction?" she asked lightly.

"Uhh…" He appeared to wince. "Honestly, I think you should just wait here."

She frowned at him. "Why?" Why was he acting so strangely all of a sudden?

"He's… well, he's not really a people person, honestly. You should just stay here," he said.

Natalie was setting him with a slightly suspicious stare. Not a people person? What the hell did that mean? Was he leaving her with a potentially unstable person?

"…Should I go with you? I mean, should I be here alone?"

"Nah, he won't come near you. You probably won't even see him while you're here. He's probably in the garage. Look, just take my word for it, all right? He just likes to be left alone."

_He likes to be left alone? Why is this guy acting so suspicious all of a sudden? _Just taking a look around the place, she knew it must have been forlorn here. If she had to work here, she'd be overjoyed for any sort of company. Her suspicion and curiosity must have shown on her face, because he let out a heavy sigh.

"Look. He's never hurt anyone or anything. I just think you're better off staying away from him. He can be a little intimidating."

"…Okay…" she agreed finally; though, she wasn't fully convinced.

He appeared relieved at her surrender, even though he tried to hide it with a pleasant smile. "Make yourself comfortable. I won't be long. If you want, feel free to go inside and get yourself something to drink." He motioned to the trailer sitting off to the side against the fence.

"Thank you."

He nodded, and she didn't miss the glance he sent directed at something behind her. She made sure to smile when he smiled at her one last time before heading back towards his truck. She waited until he had driven a good length down the road before turning and taking off at a swift stride through the yard. _Screw it._

It took her a few minutes of walking through the endless rows of stacked cars, but she was able to use a set of tire tracks as her guide, and eventually she came across the garage James must have been talking about. She knew she could be getting herself into trouble, but for some reason she felt determined to meet this mysterious man. The way James had acted was strange. Now that she thought about it, she remembered overhearing a conversation in town between a few people. She had been in a diner, and a group of two men and a woman were talking about the junkyard. She remembered what one of the men had said: _That ain't no man. I won't go anywhere near that yard. James is a good man, but I don't know what he's thinkin' letting that guy work there. _Could they have been talking about James' son? If she didn't have to fear for her safety, then why shouldn't she be able to talk to this man? Something just didn't fit. She was going to be careful, but she was going to get to the bottom of this. It was just how she was. If something were to happen, she had her knife and the training her father had taught her.

As she neared the garage, she became aware of what sounded like a blowtorch. When she passed the window near the door, she saw someone's head behind a car, but they were wearing a protective metal mask. Quietly and cautiously, she stepped in front of the opening and peeked inside. A man knelt behind a truck, but she could only see him from the shoulders up. An iron mask covered his face to protect his face from the torch. He didn't notice her as she slowly walked a few feet into the garage, intently focused on whatever he was doing. _Here goes nothing._

"Um… hello?" she said, loud enough so that he would hear her.

His head snapped up at the sound of her voice, seeming startled. The blowtorch went out the next second, and for a few lengthy moments after that he just stared at her… not moving… not saying anything. Lifting her hand, Natalie gave a small wave.

"Hi. Sorry if I'm intruding," she said politely.

He stared at her silently for another minutes or so, and then there was a small clank when he set down the blowtorch on the cement floor. Then, slowly, he rose to his feet. Natalie kept her eyes on his masked face, but she was hardly prepared for how incredibly tall this man was. By the time he was standing upright, her head had tilted slightly upwards, and she found herself staring at his impressive height. Seven feet, she guessed, at the most. Not only that, but he was built like a professional linebacker. A single glance at his exposed arms was enough to impress her. Now she understood what James had meant when he said she might feel intimidated.

"Wow." She blinked. "Someone drinks their milk."

She didn't receive a response, just a blank stare from the iron mask covering his entire face. Either she had offended him, or he was trying to think of a way to respond. He had seemed pretty taken off guard when he looked up and saw her standing in the middle of the floor.

"Sorry." She winced the slightest bit with a small, apologetic smile. "I tend to talk out of my ass. My name is Natalie. I'm the owner of the car your father is bringing in…"

No response. She bit her lip, a little uncomfortable. Why wasn't he saying anything? That mask was beginning to unnerve her a little. She couldn't tell what he was thinking without being able to see his face. Maybe she should have listened to James and stayed in the trailer. This guy was big. If he was easily ticked off, and that's why she was told to stay away, then she didn't want to piss him off.

"My father let you back here?"

She wasn't sure why hearing him speak was so startling to her. His voice was deep—almost cavernous—and it sounded muffled from the mask.

"Um… well, not exactly." She felt her lips pull into a slightly guilty smile. "I wanted to come back and thank you for working on my car afterhours, but he seemed to resent the idea for some reason."

He didn't say anything.

"…Honestly, I found it a little odd. It's like he was worried for my safety or something." She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Should I be afraid for my safety, Mr. Mahoney?"

He didn't really respond, but then she could have sworn she heard him mutter _"not for your safety."_ Without really realizing it, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. _Not for your safety._ If not for her safety, then for what? Her jade eyes studied the mask covering his face, and after a moment it slowly dawned on her. Faint traced of wonder and awareness replaced the look of caution in her eyes. Most people would take off the mask and look the person face-to-face, but he seemed to be intent on keeping it in place. The man's words from the diner filtered through her mind once more. _That ain't no man. _She studied him closely for a moment, her eyes knowing, and then nodded to the iron covering vaguely.

"Take off that mask."

His voice suddenly went cold. "You should leave."

"No. Something weird is going on here. I want to see your face."

"No."

"What have you got to hide?" she argued. She didn't wasn't trying to piss him off. All she wanted was the truth.

He didn't say anything. Natalie tilted her head to the side curiously.

"Why didn't your father want me to come out here… _really_?"

There was a pregnant pause, and she could sense his hesitation.

"He thinks I'd scare you away," he said at last.

She eyed him calculatingly. "Because you're big?"

"…Not exactly."

She stared at him, her expression not changing. "Take off that mask," she said again.

"You don't want me to do that," he said, and his voice seemed to darken.

"Try me," she said seriously. Now her curiosity was outweighing her caution. She wanted to see him, and that was that.

Reading his body language, she could tell he was very apprehensive about the situation he was in. He did not want to take off that mask. She didn't back down, though, standing her ground with her arms folded stubbornly over her chest. He seemed to recognize she wasn't going anywhere until he did as she said, because, very slowly, his hands lifted up towards his head. Natalie remained silent and patient, watching as he grasped the edges of the mask. He paused momentarily, hesitating, and then finally lifted the heavy-looking thing off his face.

He didn't meet her eyes, looking in an entirely different direction. Natalie gazed at the man before her. Now that she had seen his face, it made sense to her why Mr. Mahoney had wanted her to stay away. His facial features were harsh in appearance. He reminded her vaguely of a caveman, but his forehead wasn't that large. Staring at him, her eyes softened without her realizing it, lips parting ever so slightly. Daring to glance at her, he immediately looked away again, his eyes dark—almost pained.

"Now you know why he didn't want you back here," he said, sounding almost sad.

Natalie collected herself, and she immediately felt guilt twisting her stomach into knots. "I'm not scared," she said honestly.

His eyes darted back to her face, and she could pick out vague traced of shock as well as a fair amount of doubt. All she did was smile softly.

"What's your name?" she asked kindly.

He didn't speak right away, and now that she could see his face he was a lot less intimidating, because she could tell what he was thinking. She could tell he was trying to figure her out, like she was a demon in disguise. It almost made her smile. This hulking man was cautious of _her_. If it had been under different circumstances, she would have laughed.

"Well, my name is Natalie." Walking up to him, she extended her hand.

His eyes fell to her hand, but instead of taking it he just stared at it like he didn't know what the hell it was. _A seven-foot tall man who's scared of girls,_ she thought with amusement. _Priceless._

"This is where you shake my hand and tell me your name," she said in a friendly, slightly teasing tone of voice.

He hesitated. "…I don't think I should."

"Why not? Don't tell me you're scared of a 5'5" midget like me." She smirked.

His eyes met hers. "You're very small…"

_Oh. _"You think you'll hurt me?" She was giving him a gentle smile. "I don't think you will."

He still didn't make any move to touch her. Rather than giving him time to think it over, she decided to take charge and reached forward. She gently grabbed his hand with both of hers, and she rested her much smaller hand in his large palm. His hands were huge. She could literally lay her palm flat in his and have room to spare. Using her other hand, she gently curled his fingers over her hand.

He didn't know what to make of the woman before him. She'd literally appeared out of nowhere, and five minutes later she was _willingly_ touching him. Her hand was tiny compared to his, but she didn't seem to care he was twice her size. The lack of fear he saw in her jade eyes astounded him. Her hands were very soft, unlike his, which were rough from working tirelessly in the yard. When he looked into her eyes, they were kind—a look he was immensely unfamiliar with.

Natalie fixed him with a somewhat flat expression, but there was a light smile tugging at the corners of her full lips. "Ouch. Stop. That hurts," she said sarcastically.

His eyes met hers, and judging by the look she was giving him, he could tell she was just kidding. He had no idea how to respond, completely nonplussed. He was accustomed to being teased, but kindly? Not so much.

"How many cars are here, anyway?" she asked suddenly. "This place is huge. I bet you could find some beautiful old models around here."

"…There's a few…"

_Check. _She smiled. "Where?"

He seemed to hesitate yet again, but then he cleared his throat, a bit nervously. "…I can show you."

_Mate. _Her smile grew, teeth exposing slightly. "I'd like that."

* * *

Meanwhile, James had returned with Natalie's car. When he didn't see her outside, he went to check inside the trailer, but then he stepped inside she was nowhere to be seen. Eyebrows furrowing in wonder, he checked the bathroom, but the woman wasn't there either.

"Miss Hayes?" Frowning, he went back outside and called her name again. When he received no answer, he felt his stomach drop. "Aw, no…" Turning, he took off at a full sprint towards the garage. "Horace? Miss Hayes?" Running inside, he was vaguely alarmed to see neither of them were in there. Where the hell were they? Countless scenarios began to run through his head before he could stop them, none of which were positive. Had she decided to go find Horace anyway, and then ran when she saw him? Was she running down the road back towards town, or was she still somewhere in the junkyard?

"I told her to stay put, Goddamnit!"

* * *

"Wow, this place is a freaking goldmine!" Carefully turning, Natalie stuck her head out the door of the car she was in, and she looked down at Horace standing below her. She was a good ten feet up, having received a boost into the old sports car she was currently exploring. "I can't believe people actually throw these beauties away like this!"

He just shrugged.

"This place is awesome. If I was rich, I'd buy all the cars you've shown me and make 'em all pretty." Looking down at him, she tilted her head curiously. "Do you guys fix up cars here at all?"

"Just repairs. Mostly chop 'em."

She nodded. "How long have you been here?"

"Awhile."

_How long is awhile? _"Okay, I guess I better get down." Carefully, she eased her body out of the car, her feet groping blindly for something to support herself. She felt the sole of her sneaker hit something hard, and she gave it a small test of her weight before easing herself out of the car. When her foot unexpectedly slipped, however, she found herself falling backwards, and she let out a surprised, frightened shriek.

A small squeak escaped her when she suddenly landed in what felt like a pair of arms, and when she looked up she was more than surprised to see Horace looking down at her, his expression almost as priceless as hers.

"Wow, thanks," she said. "Nice reflexes."

"What the hell…?"

Both their heads snapped up at the sudden voice, and they both froze at seeing James standing a few feet away, his eyes wide. An incredibly awkward silence followed after that, as they all just stared at each other like deer caught in headlights. Horace's expression was the best out of all of them, and after a minute Natalie actually found herself forcing back a smile, as she reached up and gave Horace's shoulder a small tap.

"You can put me down now, hun," she said.

Blinking, he looked down at her, just then realizing he was still holding her. Clearing his throat, he looked quite sheepish as he carefully set her back down to her feet. James was still staring at them as if he didn't know what to make of the situation. Natalie decided she mine as well explain herself considering she was the one that snuck off.

"Forgive me, Mr. Mahoney. Your son was just showing me around. I was curious if you had any older models like my Mustang."

"…It's… okay…" His incredulous stare shifted up to Horace.

"I was up in that car." She pointed to the old sports car she'd fallen from. "I slipped, and that's how I ended up in your son's arms." A small chuckle left her.

"…Oh, okay. I was a little confused, I must admit."

_I bet you were. _She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes in annoyance. The fact he seemed to be so shocked she wasn't running from his son irked her. _Some family you are._

"Horace…" James shifted his eyes back up to him. "Miss Hayes' car is up front. Why don't you take it to the garage and get started?"

Horace nodded, sending Natalie one last, fleeting glance before heading off at a swift stride. Natalie was just about to walk after him, when James suddenly took her by the arm. She allowed him to pull her aside, and when she looked at his face she was a little annoyed to see genuine concern in his blue orbs.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She found herself taken aback by the question, but in the next moment her surprise transformed into annoyance. Her eyes grew a bit colder, and she folded her arms over her chest in an almost challenging fashion. Now that she knew why he had been acting so strangely, she was less than impressed with him. It was clear to her now that he was ashamed of his son, and it sickened her.

"There are a few things I'd like to say to you, Mr. Mahoney, but considering you've been so generous to me today, I'll keep my thoughts on the way you treat your son to myself." With that, she turned her back to the bewildered man and began to walk after Horace, leaving James to stare after her with a look of shock mixed with hints of confusion.

She chose to remain in the garage with Horace while he worked on her car, not wanting to sit in the trailer where James probably was. Her first impressions with the man had been okay up until she realized that he seemed intent on hiding his son from the world, and not in the overly protective kind of way. It had all become painfully clear to her when Horace had taken off the mask that James was ashamed of him, even if he didn't want to admit it. Admittedly, she felt a little bad for her abrupt words with James, but her sympathy for Horace overpowered that guilt. Briefly, she pondered on how many people the large man had met face-to-face other than her. Had he been kept here his whole life—like some sort of prisoner? He didn't seem to mind working for his father, but maybe that was because he had no idea how much he was missing out on.

"…Can I ask you a question?" she asked suddenly.

He looked up at her in question. She hesitated only for a moment.

"How long have you been working here?"

He looked as if he wanted to ask why she cared, but after a moment he answered with, "I've lived here my whole life. Worked since I was thirteen."

He returned to what he was doing, and she let her eyes fall to the floor. His whole life. Had he really been stuck here his whole life? _Poor guy. _From where she was lounging on a bench, she looked over to where Horace was still working on her car. He never said a word unless she addressed him first, and when he did speak he was very short with his answers. She had a feeling it was because he wasn't used to talking to other people, but he wasn't childlike, really. He was just very quiet and kept mainly to himself. Natalie wasn't sure what it was or why, but she liked him right away. There was something about him that made her want to talk to him, but she let him work. It was getting late, and she didn't want to keep the two men longer than she had to.

She didn't remember dozing off, but when she awoke it was from a gentle nudge to her shoulder. Her jade eyes opened slowly, and she looked up sleepily to be looking into a pair of grey-blue eyes. A moment later she realized it was Horace.

"You're car is fixed," he said.

Yawning, she sat up on the bench she was on, and she suddenly paused when she became aware of a strange weight. Looking down, she saw she was covered with a blanket.

"Did you do this?" Turning her head up to him, she smiled.

He nodded meekly.

"You're a sweetheart." Standing, she folded the blanket and set it down on the bench.

"Fixed a couple other things," he muttered. "Brake pads and ignition coils needed replacing, and I changed your oil."

"Wow, really? What's all this going to cost me?"

He just shook his head. "Only charging you for the cap. You didn't ask for the other repairs."

Natalie stared up at him in shock. "Are you sure? I couldn't possibly—"

"Don't worry about it."

She shook her head slowly, but she finally smiled. "Thank you. Really. You didn't have to do all that."

He shrugged, and she surprised him when she took his hand again.

"Thank you, Horace."

_Thank you. _He wanted to say it, but the words never made it out. He had only known this woman for a few hours, and he found himself utterly fascinated by her. She was beautiful; long, wavy, chocolate brown hair, big jade eyes, full lips, and a sweet face. Hardly any makeup covered her face. She didn't need it. The way she had reacted to seeing him had shocked him to the core. Everyone else before her that had managed to see him had been nothing short of scared. He knew why. He wasn't naïve to the way he looked. People thought he was some dumb giant because of his size and appearance, but he wasn't, and this woman had recognized that. Even when his father had told her to stay up front, she had disobeyed for some reason and made a point to meet him. Why? He would probably never know.

Natalie drove her car back up towards the front of the yard, following behind Horace who was driving the tow truck. Once they had reached the front gates, she got out and paid James the money she owed him for the caps, not mentioning the extra repairs Horace had done on her car. Even if it had been partially James' idea, she was still feeling rather bitter towards him after learning the truth about his son, so she was giving him the cold shoulder. She would be back, though, to thank Horace properly. She felt she had to do something to pay him back for his hospitality.

Horace watched from a distance as she drove off back into the road, feeling a bit gloomy. There she went, the only person to ever treat _him_ like a person. One second she was there, and then she was gone again. Feeling rather depressed all of a sudden, he turned and towards the trailer, walking straight passed his father without a word. He didn't feel like talking, and James seemed to sense this because he didn't try speaking to him. Horace stepped into the trailer, Natalie's face still clear in his mind. After finally experiencing what it felt like to talk to someone from the outside, he realized he had never felt so alone.

And it would remain that way, because he would probably never see her or anyone like her ever again.

* * *

**Reviews would be appreciated. I'm willing to put into thought any constructive input! :)**


	2. Hope

**Disclaimer: Thir13en Ghosts belongs to Steve Beck.**

**Claimer: I own Natalie Hayes, DeSoto, Bella, & Jasmine Michaels.**

**Chapter#2: Hope**

"You _what_?!" A young woman, roughly Natalie's age, gawked at her with wide, coffee brown eyes. She was a close friend of Natalie's, literally the only person she knew in this town. They had been talking about ideas for a new book over coffee, when Natalie had mentioned she'd stopped at the Mahoneys' after her car had broken down. Her coffee-skinned friend, Jasmine, had appeared neutral at first, only expressing some concern over the car, but when Natalie mentioned Horace the curly-haired woman had nearly spewed a mouthful of hot coffee across the room.

"Why is everyone so dramatic about this?"

"You saw him? You _talked_ to him?" Jasmine's large eyes widened even more.

Natalie knew her annoyance showed in her expression. "Is that really so weird?"

"Honey, considering you don't live around here, I'll explain it to you. People _fear_ that man, and they fear him for a reason."

"And what reason is that?" she snapped. "He's big, but he's not the freaking Hulk, Jasmine. You people act like he's some sort of vicious monster. The talk I've heard is incredible."

"Well, can you blame us?" the darker-skinned woman exclaimed. "He _never_ comes out of that junkyard."

"Yeah, well I think he'd like to," Natalie muttered bitterly into her cup.

Jasmine tilted her head at her, curls swaying to the side with the motion. "What do you mean?"

"James seemed pretty intent on keeping me away from Horace. He made it seem like he was this big, mean dude. The second he was gone, I went looking for his son. You know the only reason he doesn't let anyone see the guy is because of the way he looks."

"Well, can you blame him?"

"Yeah, I can!" Natalie set her with a disbelieving stare. "Jasmine, I can't believe you just said that!"

"He's scary!"

"Have you ever even seen him?" Natalie challenged.

The woman held her gaze for a moment, but then her coffee eyes fell to the table.

"Then how the hell can you make any judgments?" she snapped.

"Look, I've heard enough to be afraid of the guy, okay? Everyone talks about him the same way!"

"Yeah, and I bet none of them have even so much as bothered to say hello to the guy!" Natalie argued. "_I_, for one, took the time to speak to him. At first, yes, I was a bit taken aback by his size and appearance. He's a rough guy, but I did _not_ get vicious or mean from my encounter with him."

Jasmine's eyes fell to her coffee, fingering the ceramic handle with her thumb as she swirled the contents around inside. She was quiet for a moment. "…What was he like?" she finally asked, after a long minute of silence.

Natalie took a sip from her cup, lifting one of her hands in a shrug as she did so. "He was totally fine. I found him in the garage. He was wearing one of those metal masks, because he was using a blowtorch." She proceeded to tell her friend about her experience at the Mahoneys' junkyard, and how she had come to meet Horace and see his face. She explained how shy he had been, putting extra detail into the look in his eyes when he had caught her staring. By the time she had reached the part where he has shown her around the yard, Jasmine looked genuinely fascinated in the story, her attention completely focused on Natalie. Her eyebrows had shot up when she told her about Horace catching her, and what she had said to James. By the time she was done speaking, the coffee-skinned woman's eyes had fallen to the table once more.

"Have I made my point?" said Natalie after a lengthy silence, her tone momentous.

The woman before her glanced up at her, a bit sheepishly—almost guiltily. Her eyes were humble. "So, like… he didn't hurt you? I heard he crushed anything he touched."

"Exactly. Heard."

He eye fell again, defeated.

"I'm going back this afternoon."

Her eyes snapped up to her jade-eyed friend. "Why?"

"Because I'm curious." Standing, Natalie picked up her coffee cup and walked around the table to the counter. "I've heard so much about him—none of which have been that pleasant—and now that he's shown me the exact _opposite_ of those rumors…" Pouring herself another cup of coffee, she shrugged, "I want the truth. Plus, after what he did for my car, the least I could do is go over and give him a chance to talk to someone other than his overpowering, ignorant father."

"Hey, James is a good man." Jasmine pointed a finger at her. "He might have some issues when it comes to family, but can't you understand that? People fear his son, so it only makes sense when it comes to business—"

"Oh, so Horace has to live life completely alone so his father doesn't have to worry about losing _business_?" Natalie turned to face her, a look of total disbelief on her face.

Jasmine let her hands fall back to the table. "Okay, once again it didn't come out the way I meant it."

"No." Natalie shook her head. "Just the way you think it." With that, she set her coffee down and walked out of the room.

Jasmine lifted her hands and dropped them back to the tabletop with a small sound of protest. "Natalie! Girl, come on." She sighed. "Natalie! Look, I'm sure he's as nice as you say he is!"

"Yeah?" Natalie briefly stepped back into view as she pulled on her leather jacket. "You wanna come along?"

Jasmine didn't say anything.

"I didn't think so." Not giving her friend any time to respond, she lifted her hair out from under the jacket, turned, and left without another word. She didn't mean to be so abrupt, but she couldn't squash the enflaming irritation that was bubbling in her stomach. The townspeople maybe, but Jasmine? She had not expected her to be so judgmental. It made no sense to her whatsoever how these people could make such solid judgments on someone _none_ of them have even had a simple conversation with. Honestly, has he ever spoken to _anyone_ outside that junkyard? It hardly seemed possible. Were there really people in the world _that_ lonely and deprived? She flipped her long, silky waves over her shoulder as she ducked into the Mustang.

It was time to get to the bottom of this. She was going to get the full story of Horace Mahoney if it killed her.

* * *

James let out a deep sigh, currently bent over the open hood of a dark blue Ford pickup someone had dropped off earlier that day. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't concentrate for the life of him. It had started out with simple wonder, but over the past couple of hours it had gradually grown into an irritation, and then finally blatant aggravation. It was that woman. What was her name? Nina? Nadean? Whatever is was, she had been plaguing his thoughts since last night. It wasn't that he was angry with the girl. In fact, it had been nice to see someone react so positively for a change. It was what she had said to him that was bothering him so much, he realized. _There are a few things I'd like to say to you, Mr. Mahoney, but considering you've been so generous to me today, I'll keep my thoughts on the way you treat your son to myself._ At first he had been too stunned to react, and then that shock had turned into anger. Who did she think she was talking to him like that? But then his anger had slowly simmered down to a dreaded, reluctant guilt. He knew deep down that she was right, but what the hell did she expect him to do about it? It was maddening.

"Mr. Mahoney."

"Jesus—!" He stood up so fast he forgot about the open hood, and he received a good bang in the head in result.

Natalie remained calm, arms folded over her chest in an almost bored fashion as she watched the man before her release a rather colorful string of curses. His hand shot up to rub his throbbing head, the other coming up to grab the hood of the truck. He shut it with a perturbed slam, and he checked his hand for blood before finally looking up at her, eyes slightly widened. A demon. The woman was a frigging demon.

"Where the hell did you come from?" he blurted before he could stop himself.

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Did I catch you off guard?"

He let out a scoff. "No, I meant to give myself a concussion."

She didn't say anything. She simply stood there, arms folded over her breasts as she watched him with the most blasé stare she could muster. Eventually, he managed to collect himself and calm down, casting her a glance as he finally removed his hand from his head with nothing short of annoyance.

"What can I do for you…" _What was her name?_

"Miss Hayes," she said.

His face said it all. _Guess we're off a first name basis. _"Is there something I can help you with, Miss Hayes?" he asked, voice a bit dry.

"I was hoping you could point me in your son's direction," she said, keeping her voice in check and professional. "I'd like to talk to him, if you don't mind."

He was setting her with a faint glare. _If you don't mind. _Well, that wasn't directed at him or anything. "What for? Is there something wrong with your car?"

"No," she said simply. "I just wanted to speak with him."

He wanted to ask why, but he knew it would only dig him a deeper hole than he was already in with her. He could hear the words already. _Do I need a reason? _Christ, he didn't even know this woman, and he could already predict her. "I'll take you to him. The dogs are out, and I don't want you getting bitten. You're lucky you got up here without being attacked." He tilted his head at her meaningfully. "You should be more careful."

"I'll keep it in mind."

Jaw tight, he suppressed an aggravated sound and covered it up with a nod. Slapping down the rag he'd been holding, he cleared his throat and motioned for her to walk with him. "Follow me."

It took a little searching, but they eventually found him on the West side of the yard. His back was turned to them, a pair of dogs flanking him as he walked. One of the dogs, a large Rottweiler, noticed them before they made a sound, and Natalie watched its ears perk up. The next second, it was bounding towards them, barking. She let out a small giggle when she saw the stub of a tail wiggling on its bum, and she knelt down to greet the creature. This clearly alarmed James.

"Careful, he bites!"

"He's fine." She welcomed the big lug with open arms, scratching behind his ears as she tried to hold him back from licking her face.

He relaxed a little, but he looked genuinely surprised. "Huh… well, I'll be damned. Usually, he's the scary one."

"His ears are relaxed, and his tail is wagging, which shows me he's relaxed. Dog's only get mean when they feel threatened, much unlike humans."

James frowned the slightest bit. Was that another crack at the way he treated his son? He couldn't quite tell, so he couldn't really get annoyed.

"What's his name?" she asked.

"DeSoto." Almost immediately after he had said it, the dog let out a bark.

Giggling, Natalie held out her hand as a form of jest. "Pleasure to meet your acquaintance, DeSoto." The last thing she expected was for the dog to actually give her his paw, and it caused her to laugh. "Good boy!" The paw was big and heavy, almost the same size as her own hand. The other dog soon came trotting over, its movements a little more cautious than its counterpart. This one was a bluenose pitbull. She was only half the size of the meaty Rotty, her head dipped low as she sniffed cautiously at Natalie's leg.

"That's Bella. She's a little more timid, but don't let her sweet nature fool you. If she feels like you're trespassing, she'll set you straight real fast," said James.

Natalie looked over her shoulder at him, and then she switched her gaze up to Horace, who had turned around almost the same moment DeSoto had left his side. His eyes said it all. He was shocked to see her, but he hid it well.

"Hello, Horace," she greeted him cheerfully.

"…Hi…"

"She wanted to talk to you," James explained. "I'll be up front." He motioned to Natalie. "Keep a close eye on her. The last thing we need is for a car to fall on her or something."

He left with that, leaving the two of them alone. Natalie had risen back to her feet and was dusting herself off.

"I hope I didn't catch you in the middle of anything," she said.

"You didn't…"

"My car is running better than it ever has." Looking up at him, she smiled. "I can't thank you enough."

_At least you're thanking me,_ he thought. No one ever thanked him. Some of them knew he was the one that did work on some of their cars, but they had never made any effort to thank him. That would include talking to him face-to-face. He felt a sadness creep through him before he even realized it.

"Horace?"

His eyes snapped back to Natalie.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

He didn't really know how to respond. The fact she seemed truly concerned baffled him. "I'm fine."

"…Okay." Although she wasn't fully convinced, she put on a small smile. "Walk with me.

"…Where are we going?"

"Nowhere in particular. I just feel like talking."

He stared down at her. "About what…?"

"Anything." She smiled. "You can tell me about yourself, or you can ask me about myself. I just want to get to know you a little."

He didn't know what to say. What did this woman care? Surely she hadn't driven all this way just to _talk_ with him… had she? It hardly seemed realistic. She was too beautiful to be put in words, and he was too ugly to be beheld by human eyes. At first he had thought she was blind, but that clearly wasn't the case. His mind just couldn't make sense of it, unable to form any type of reason for why she would want to get to know him. People had always chosen to ridicule and fear him. That was just how it was. Briefly, his mind strayed back in time to when he had understood for the very first time why his father was ashamed of him.

_~~**~Start Flashback~**~~_

_Winter had crept in considerably quicker than the year prior. The first snowfall had already covered the ground in a thick layer of white, sparkling powder. The walls of cars groaned as the snow piled down on their hoods and roofs, straining their aged outer shells. Winter always made it harder to look for parts. And it was cold. Just two minutes of walking through the freezing snow caused your feet to go numb._

_He trudged through the heavy snow with ease, but his chest bore a heavy weight. The feeling wasn't an unfamiliar sensation. Loneliness was something he had grown accustomed to after years of living alone in the yard, the only other company he had being the dogs and his father. Briefly, he glanced upwards, where the vast chain link fence was barely visibly above the stacks of cars. He hadn't been past those gates since he turned thirteen, and he often found himself wondering what he was missing out there. Of course he had an idea, but all he'd ever seen since his father had put him to work here were pictures and movies. Whenever people actually came into the junkyard, he was always sent away on some random task his father gave him. It wasn't until today he realized why his father always wanted him out of sight._

_He trembled as the biting winter air blew its frigid winds over him. He was large—larger than the rest of the kids his age, and he didn't get cold as fast because of his size, but the icy air was slowly working its way through his body. He was only fifteen, and he was already 6'5" and built like a college football linebacker._

_His father had suddenly sent him out to the garage, asking him to go get the radiator supports from the Chevy. The way he had practically shoved him out of the back door of the trailer was enough to nearly make him stumble and fall face-first into the snow. Confused and a little alarmed, he quickly ran through the snow towards the garage. He hadn't even had time to grab a coat. Whether it was out of curiosity or suspicion, he wasn't sure, but something made him stop. Instead of heading towards the garage, he hurried along the fence and crouched down behind a large, old truck about fifty feet from where a shiny black truck pulled up in front of the trailer. He watched as his father's shadow passed over the window in the trailer, and he stepped out the back door before heading over to the truck. A man stepped out, and they shook hands briefly._

"_Hey there, James. You got that part I asked you for?" asked the man who owned the black truck._

"_Had a hell of a time finding it, but I managed to scrounge one off one of the old Hondas. This should do just fine."_

"_You're a lifesaver, man. How much do I owe you?"_

"_I believe we settled on thirty."_

_Horace watched the man hand his father the money._

"_Hey, don't you have a son out here with you?"_

"_Yeah…. He doesn't like to be bothered, though. Not really a people person, you know?"_

_Horace frowned. Why would he say that? He liked people. Well, he didn't have any reason to dislike them, anyway._

"_Well, he's into cars, right? My boy, Michael, is around his age. Maybe they'd get along," suggested the man._

"_Ah…" Lifting a hand, James scratched the back of his beck, almost in a nervous fashion. "I don't think that's such a good idea. Horace is kind of a jock, you know? He's not good with people—especially other boys his age."_

_How did he know? He'd never even talked to anyone else his age. Ever since he'd been put to work in the junkyard, he hadn't so much as spoken to any other people aside from his father. Why would his father call him a jock?_

"…_All right," said the man finally. He seemed a little suspicious, but he made no further move to argue. "Well, I better be heading back. Thanks for the—what the hell?!"_

_James spun about at the man's sudden switch in tone, noticing he was looking at something behind him. His eyes widened when he saw Horace standing beside the old truck, watching them with curious eyes. Horace was startled by the man's sudden outburst, but before anyone could question anything the man had begun to back up towards his truck._

"_Jesus Christ! _That's_ your son?!" he exclaimed. "You're right! There ain't no way I'd let him anywhere near my boy."_

_Before James could so much as attempt to calm the man down, he was hopping back into his truck and slamming the door shut before making haste back onto the road. Horace watched him go, startled and confused. What had he done wrong? Why had he gotten so upset? He wasn't able to ponder on it for long, because James was striding up to him the next second._

"_Horace! Boy, I told you to go get those supporters! Why the hell didn't you listen?" he yelled._

"_I'm sorry—"_

_SMACK!_

"_Get your ass inside! Next time you listen, or I'll take my belt to your ass!"_

_He didn't argue, running past his father towards the trailer. He didn't stop running until he was in his room and quickly shut the door behind him. It was almost a whole hour before he finally emerged and hesitantly edged towards the bathroom. His father was sitting in the living room, but he didn't look up as Horace snuck into the bathroom. Once inside he walked up to the mirror and took a long, hard look._

_Deep down, he had always known why his father treated him the way he did. He was ugly. A total sideshow freak. His father was ashamed of him, because he wasn't like any of the other boys. All he did was make it difficult for his father to run the business, because if people saw him they would never come back. It was clear to him now that he would never leave that junkyard—even if he was presented with the opportunity. What was the point? No matter where he went, all he would receive is gawking, disgusted stares. He'd never get a girl or get married, because no woman would ever want him. To everyone else, he was nothing but the junkyard phantom. No one ever saw him, and when they did they always ran off in fear._

_~~**~End Flashback~**~~_

"Horace?"

Blinking, he snapped out of his trancelike reverie at the sound of Natalie's soft voice, and he looked down at her without really thinking about it. When he did, he saw she was staring up at him with a soft, almost concerned gaze.

"Are you okay…?" Her voice was soft like bells, laced with genuine concern.

His mood must have shown in his face. He glanced at her, and then looked back forward with a small nod. She was hardly convinced, and she walked around in front of him without hesitation.

"Hey." She lightly took hold of his arm, and his head snapped down to her, startled at the tender contact. Using gentle force, she made him turn to face her, before she closed the gap between them by wrapping her arms around his torso in a warm embrace. His entire body went rigid, but she didn't pull away. She held the embrace for another moment or so, and eventually he finally spoke.

"…What are you doing?"

"You looked like you needed a hug," she said simply.

He stared down at her, stunned. He'd never been hugged before, so he was severely underprepared on what to think. She pulled away after a moment, and for the first few seconds all he did was stare at her like she was some sort of alien. Then finally, he managed to get out the question that had been wracking his brain since yesterday.

"…Why are you so kind to me?" he asked at last.

He saw her frown, and she quirked a challenging eyebrow at him. "What kind of a question is that? Is there a reason I shouldn't be?"

His eyes lingered on hers, looking unsure. "You're the first person to ever really bother. Everyone else that knows who I am fears me."

"Have any of them ever met you?"

"A few have seen me. That seemed to be enough."

Natalie's eyes softened. He could see, to his confusion, that his words had saddened her. He could see the pity in her jade orbs. After a moment or so, she lifted her hand and gave his arm a light pat and urged him to walk with her once more.

"Come on. Let's talk."

They spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the yard, stopping every now and then if something caught Natalie's eye. The dogs trotted beside them, tongues flopping happily out of their mouths. Natalie had done most of the talking. He seemed far more interested in her than talking about himself, and she humored him by telling him about her books and life. He asked about town and what it was like now, and she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. His interest had sparked mainly on her books, however. It surprised her a little, but she gave him a few quick summaries about a couple of the titles, and he seemed genuinely fascinated that she was an author. She explained to him that she was working on a new book, but she wasn't quite sure what to write it about yet, even though she did have an idea.

After the first hour, he had warmed up to her and was visibly more relaxed. She'd even gotten him to chuckle at one point, a deep but pleasant sound. The entire time, she was taking mental notes in her mind to write down later. As they were walking, she happened to notice how the shadows from the cars had changed dramatically since she had arrived, and she stole a glance upwards towards the sky over the fence. The sun was setting steadily, having started to dye the clouds and sky an array of warm, striking colors. Had she really been here for that long?

"The sky is so beautiful around here," she mused quietly, and she saw him look down at her from the corner of her eye. "No buildings to block it from view…"

He remained silent at first…. "…Want to see something?" he asked hesitantly.

She looked up at him, and then smiled. "Sure."

The corners of his mouth twitched upwards the slightest bit, and he motioned for her to follow him. She let him lead her to the farthest point in the junkyard, and although she was a little confused she didn't question it. But then he came to a stop before one of the walls of cars, and she couldn't help but stare at him in question.

"…What are we doing here?" she asked finally.

Glancing down at her, he pointed up, and, slowly, her eyes traveled upwards. No. No way. He couldn't possibly mean….

He chuckled quietly. "Trust me. Just step where I step."

"But… what if it falls?" she asked, voice quiet and a little nervous. It must have shown on her face, because he dared to smirk at her the slightest bit.

"You won't get hurt. I promise."

Her eyes shifted back to his face. She didn't know why, but something in his smoky blue eyes made her believe him. She knew there really was no way he could guarantee her safety one hundred percent, and she barely knew him but she trusted him.

"…Okay…"

He smiled fully at her for the first time and motioned with his arm towards the wall of cars. "You go first. That way, if you slip, I'll be able to grab you."

"I don't care if you have to grab my ass. Just make sure I don't fall off this thing," she muttered.

Taking a step forward, she placed her hand on the car closest to her and peered up. The fence was skyscraping in itself, and the wall was almost as tall as the fence. If she fell, and he didn't catch her, it would definitely be the end of her. _Well, here goes… well, everything. _Drawing in a deep, calming breath, she carefully stepped up and began a slow, cautious climb upwards. After a minute, she heard him climbing up behind her.

Horace couldn't believe she was doing all this. Showing up randomly to talk to him was one thing, but even he knew most _men_ wouldn't dare to climb these walls. Most people feared they'd be crushed, as did Natalie, but here she was. She was the most fascinating woman he'd ever met, even though he'd met few. He could tell she was different. _Audacious_ would be a good word to describe her. And beautiful. Her long, wavy locks hung over her shoulders and down her back as she climbed, swaying with the motions. Her skin was quite literally flawless, save for a small freckle here and there, but they only added to her natural beauty in his opinion. Whenever she smiled at him, her entire face lit up, and her jade eyes sparkled like diamonds. And, now that he was climbing beneath her, he really had nowhere else to look but up, and it was a sight to behold.

"Thanks for the visual massage, Flex," Natalie said suddenly.

He froze, hand hovering over the car door he had been reaching for. She wasn't even looking at him! How could she have possibly—

"I'm a woman, hun," she said, and he was relieved to hear she sounded amused. "I know any honest man would take an opportunity like this to check a girl out."

"…Sorry…" he muttered sheepishly.

She laughed softly. "Honey, you can look all you want. People that get all riled up about that type of thing are nothing but hypocrites. I take it as a compliment. All I ask is that you keep eye contact with me when I'm speaking to you. Women can't deny they gawk at the male anatomy when they spot something they like."

No woman would ever gawk at him, he thought. He was relieved she wasn't upset, though. He hadn't even realized he was staring until she had spoken, and he was glad she wasn't able to see the faint blush that formed on his face. Finally, she reached the top of the wall, and she saw there was an old pickup stacked at the very top. She looked down at him, and he nodded.

"Climb in," he instructed her.

"It won't fall?"

"Would I tell you to get in if it was going to fall?" He quirked a brow at her. "I've been up there, and I'm twice your weight."

Very carefully, she slowly lifted her leg and hauled her bodyweight over the side of the pickup. There, she froze like a spooked animal, waiting for it to teeter over from the sudden added weight. When it didn't, she relaxed, but then tensed again as he climbed in after her. Almost the same second he sat down, she reached over and grabbed onto his shirt, and because he wasn't looking the sudden contact made him jump a little. Turning his head, he smirked a little when he saw how nervous she looked.

"It won't fall," he assured her once again.

She looked at him, and he pointed straight ahead. Blinking, she looked to where he was pointing, and when she saw it her lips parted in awe. They were so high up and far enough back from the fence that they were able to see over it into the horizon. Now she understood why he had brought her up here. The sunset was magnificent from this view. The sky was a vibrant mixture of oranges, reds, pinks, purples, and yellows, as the golden sun slowly fell beyond the horizon, casting a royal glow over the land and junkyard. It was the most breathtaking sight she'd ever laid eyes on, quite literally something from a museum painting. It was a scene you might see in a documentary.

"Wow…" she whispered. "It's so beautiful…"

He glanced over at her. She had relaxed considerably since he had made her look forward, her death grip on his shirt having loosened. The golden light from the setting sun illuminated her gently tanned skin, giving her a warm glow, and as he watched a soft smile appear on her lips he couldn't help but continue to wonder why she was there with him right then. She didn't know him, and he didn't know her. They were complete strangers, and yet she treated him like a long-time friend. It wasn't like she was ugly and desperate for a friend, either. There was no doubt in his mind she could easily get any man she wanted with little to no effort on her part.

"You're very pretty."

Looking at him, Natalie's dark eyebrows rose high in surprise. She was a bit taken aback by the sudden compliment.

"I mean, you're pretty enough to be married by now," he said quickly, once he realized she probably thought he was trying to hit on her.

She smiled at him faintly. "You're sweet, but you should try telling that to my boyfriend, Danny."

That was the information he had been looking for. So, she had a boyfriend. It wasn't surprising to him, but it made him curious yet again as to why she was going so out of her way to know him. It made no sense in his mind that she should give a damn whether he was alone or not.

"Tell me about yourself, Horace," said Natalie casually. "I've been talking about myself almost all day. What's your story?"

He looked down. His story? She had basically told him her life story. It only made sense she would want to know his in return. It ashamed him how less interesting his was compared to her life, filled with travels, success, and fame. He hadn't even finished school.

"…It's not really that interesting," he said at last.

"I highly doubt that." She smiled kindly. "You're nothing like what people portray you to be. By telling me your story, I can get to know the real you."

"Why do you want to know so bad?" He wasn't trying to sound rude. He was merely trying to figure her out.

"Because I do. I can't explain to you why I do, and others don't. All that matters is that I'm here, aren't I?" She quirked a meaningful eyebrow at him. "Stop questioning the good things that happen to you."

He shifted his eyes down. It still didn't make any sense to him, but he didn't argue with her. If she wanted to know his past, then he'd tell her.

"…I was born… like this." He made a vague motion to his face. "My mother left almost immediately after she'd seen my face. It was the midwife who named me. My father raised me, but because of the way I looked I didn't have friends. I was bigger than other kids my age. I've always been big. By the time I was a teenager, I was as strong as an adult man, so my father put me to work in the junkyard." He shrugged. "I hardly saw anyone after that. When I did, it never ended well. Not everyone screams and runs away in fear, but they try to distance themselves from me as much as possible. I've been here since I was thirteen."

"How old are you now?"

"Twenty-six."

So he'd been in this junkyard for fourteen years? Alone? His mother had abandoned him at birth, and apparent she hadn't even wanted to name him. That must be why the midwife named him. He'd spent his childhood as an outcast, and then the moment he had turned thirteen, his father had locked him away in this place. There was no doubt in her mind he had been tormented as a kid as well. Children could be even crueler than adults, feeling no shame in throwing stones or other harmful objects at someone they didn't like. She could only imagine what it must have been like—what it must still be like. It broke her heart knowing he had suffered so much for no good reason.

"…So you never even got to finish school?"

He shook his head. "People think it makes me stupid, but I'm not."

"I don't think you're stupid in the slightest. Have you ever had a friend?"

He shook his head again, and then he looked at her and shrugged with a frank expression. "You get used to it."

"I don't see how that's something you could possibly ever get used to." She was shaking her head slowly. He had been alone literally his whole life, and for what? His looks? People sickened her.

Horace grew curious once more when she scooted closer to him after a couple minutes, and he was shocked when she wrapped her arms around his torso and snuggled up against his side with absolutely zero hesitation. He just sat there, stunned at how she had just curled up next to him like a small animal. Her bodyweight pressing against him was an alien sensation, and her warmth seemed to spread throughout him like a strange energy, but he liked it.

"You are _not_ ugly, and you're not a monster," she whispered. "I've only known you for a couple days, and I already like you. You've been such a sweetheart to me."

He didn't know what to say. He was speechless. It almost gave him a headache at how completely and utterly astonished he was. How had his life taken such a dramatic turn in just two days? This woman had revealed to him she was a wealthy author, had many friends, and had traveled around the world. Why in the hell of it would she even think to bother with him? Did this make them friends? He had to know.

"…Does this make us…?" He trailed off.

Her lips pulled upwards into a soft smile. "Friends? I'd like that."

Before he could stop it, he smiled down at her. She didn't see, because she was looking ahead at the sunset. They continued to sit side-by-side, watching as the sun set steadily below the horizon. Natalie remained leaned against him willingly, and he could feel her smaller body rising and lowering as she breathed. Since he was born, he had been completely alone, and then poof. This woman appears out of nowhere, sees him, and willingly _shakes his hand_. Not only that. She had went as far as to hug him. The emotions raging within him were confusing, but they weren't unpleasant, so he welcomed them. All he could think about was how good of a mood he was in. She barely knew him, but she wanted to be friends with him. It clicked in his mind.

He wasn't alone anymore.

* * *

**This story won't be entirely fluff, to those who might be wondering. A lot of dark things will happen, as well as some action. If you have anything to add in or suggest, don't hesitate to speak up! I will put all your words into consideration. If you ask a question, I will reply. xoxoxo**


	3. Impact

**Disclaimer: Thir13en Ghosts belongs to Steve Beck.**

**Claimer: I own Natalie Hayes, Jasmine Michaels, and Danny Colton.**

**Chapter#3: Impact**

"Okay, okay. Let me get this straight." Jasmine turned to face her. "You spent all day with him, and all you two did was talk?"

Natalie gave her a strange look from her spot sitting on the couch. "Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't aware I was supposed to slut it up."

"That's not what I meant! Damn, girl…"

"Well, then, what do you presume we should have done? It's a junkyard, Jasmine."

"It's just that I'm shocked he was able to hold a conversation with you for an entire day. My man can barely hold a conversation for ten minutes without becoming sidetracked."

Natalie gave her a suggestive look. "Well, maybe if you'd wear a shirt that actually covered your sweater puppies, you wouldn't have that problem."

"Ugh." She flung a hand at her. "Whatever. So, what did you find out? I'm curious."

Shaking her head, she gave a small shrug. "He's about as normal as any other guy I've ever met. He likes to read. Can you believe that? I told him who I am, and now he wants to read my books."

"Seriously?"

"I know, right?" Natalie smiled.

"Too bad Danny doesn't share his enthusiasm, eh?" Jasmine quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Danny's never been much of a reader. Why, are you suggesting I should dump him for Horace?"

"Hell no. Although, it would be pretty priceless to see the look on Danny's face," said the black beauty smoothly.

Natalie rolled her eyes.

"So, tell me about this guy! What else did you find out?"

Natalie felt her eyes lower to the carpet as she recalled the heart-wrenching story Horace had told her. Just the thought of it was enough to cause her heart to clench with sympathy for the big lug. "It's hardly a fairy tale, I'll tell you that."

"What do you mean?" Jasmine took a seat on the opposite end of the couch. "Tell me."

Natalie sighed. "His mother abandoned him the moment she saw him. She wouldn't even name him. His entire childhood was spent as an outcast. Kids bullied him, ridiculed him, and threw rocks at him. I found out that's how he got the scar on his right cheek. When he became a teenager, his father put him to work in the junkyard. He's been there, alone, ever since."

"You're trying to make me feel like an asshole, aren't you?"

"It's a true story. It's _his_ story."

"Wow. I knew James had some issues with the fam, but I never knew they were that intense. His wife just got up and split? Just like that?" Jasmine frowned.

"That's what Horace told me." Shaking her head, Natalie leaned back against the armrest. "God, can you imagine? Can you imagine knowing the reason your family is torn apart is because of you? Horace is fully aware his mother abandoned him because of the way he looks. I mean, God, the emotional scarring alone…"

"How can someone live like that and not have social problems? Not just social, but mental."

"I don't know. Hell, I don't doubt he had issues. My past is mild compared to his, and _I_ still have some issues."

Jasmine studied her carefully. "Does he know?"

Natalie looked at her. "Know what?"

"About your parents…"

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Yes. All he knows is that they're gone. I didn't get into how."

"You _told_ him?" Jasmine's jaw practically hit the floor. "Why? You never tell anyone about that!"

"I know…"

"You barely know this guy. What makes him so different?"

Natalie shook her head. "I don't know. I can't explain it. I realize I barely know him, but I trust him. He's not like other people. He doesn't know corruption like we do. Being secluded in that junkyard, as corrupt as that is in itself, it's preserved his innocence. He hasn't had anyone to twist and deform his morals and mindset. Yet at the same time, he's not childlike in any sense. It's remarkable, really."

"Oh, hell no, Natalie." Jasmine's eyes had formed a glint of realization all of a sudden, and she was staring at her friend like she was insane. "You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"

"What?"

"You're going to write about him, aren't you? Okay, when I said think out of the box, I didn't mean this!"

"Wow… actually, I wasn't thinking that. But now that you mention it…" Natalie grinned. "That's a great idea! Jasmine, you're a genius!"

"Natalie—"

"Nope. You've talked me into it." Jumping off the couch, she strode over to where her bag was sitting on the table near the door. Jasmine threw her arms up.

"Where are you going?"

"Where do you think? I have a book to research!"

"Aw, hell…"

* * *

James looked up when he heard the distinct sound of tires rolling over gravel. He saw the sleek blue paintjob and immediately knew who it was. It was her. He watched as the driver's side opened, and a pair of studded black leather boots stepped onto the ground, before she stood to her full height. He remained quiet as she walked past the gates into the yard at a graceful stride. When she looked up at him, he could tell her smile was somewhat forced, and he greeted her with a nod.

"Afternoon, Miss Hayes."

"Hello, James."

"Am I to assume you're here for Horace?"

"Yes, I am."

He stared at her, almost calculatingly. "Can I ask you a question?"

"What?"

"Why are you putting so much effort into this? And before you hassle me for it, I don't mean that because of Horace. I just find it a little weird you're going so out of your way to see someone you barely know."

Natalie let her shoulders drop, holding his gaze with a calm but serious stare. "Why am I bothering? I'll tell you why. The reason I keep coming back is because I know what it's like to be alone. I've been there, believe it or not. Hell, sometimes I still feel like I'm there. Horace is older than me, and it's been this way his entire life." She held up a hand when he went to protest. "I'm not saying the blame is all on you. I've talked to him. I mean _really_ talked to him." Her eyes were solemn, but they were sympathetic as well. "I know about your wife James."

She saw his eyes widen.

"Horace told me. It just kind of happened. I told him my story, and he told me his. He feels guilty, you know. He is fully aware you'd still have her if he was never born."

He frowned at her. "He said that?"

"He's not as dumb or naïve as people portray him to be. For someone who's been secluded their entire life, he's incredibly aware." She let out a small, quiet sigh. "I feel I somewhat owe you an apology, James."

"For what?"

"For what I said in regards to the way you treat your son. I had no idea about the scenario with Mrs. Mahoney. You could have given Horace up to the state, but you didn't, and I admire that."

He stared at her. "He told me what you do. You're some author, right?"

"I am."

"Then I need you to listen to me real careful." He leaned into her. "Horace isn't some article for you to write about and gain profit on. So, if you're only doing this to gain his trust so you can dig up some information—"

"Stop right there, Mahoney," she hissed. "If you're going to stand here and insult me, I have plenty of comebacks that are guaranteed to shut you up. Just because I'm a writer does not mean I'm a profit-seeking vulture. I'm here because I genuinely like your son, and, once again, I am sorry if that is so difficult for you to believe." She straightened to full posture, pushing her shoulders back in a challenging fashion. "Now if you don't mind, I am going to go speak to your son."

* * *

"Hey, Flex."

Horace looked up from the car he was disassembling, and when he saw her he seemed to brighten. He didn't smile, but she could see it in his eyes that he was pleased to see her. In turn, it made her want to smile.

"What's up?" she asked, as she came to stand by him. He was kneeling down, but even though a good two feet was taken off his height he was still almost as tall as her. She chuckled faintly when she saw his expression. "You seem surprised to see me," she teased.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to it."

She smiled. "You're going to have to, because once I have my sights on someone it's nearly impossible to de-leech me."

"What about your boyfriend? He doesn't mind you hanging around here?"

"Danny doesn't have any say in who I can hang out with, and I don't have any say in who he hangs out with." She shrugged. "It's not like we never see each other…"

He wasn't so sure. "Does he even know you've been coming here?"

"He's in Canada right now. I haven't gotten the chance to speak with him yet…"

"Canada?"

"He had a job interview."

"How long has he been gone?"

"…Since last Friday."

Last Friday? That was five whole days. "Five days for an interview?"

She looked up at him curiously. "He's visiting an old friend while he's there…. Why do many questions?"

He shrugged. "It's just… I find it a little weird he hasn't so much as called you."

Her eyes shifted down, and he winced when he saw the slightly dejected glint in her eyes, even though she was trying to hide it. It became apparent to him then that he was making her feel bad, which was the very last thing he wanted to do.

"…Sorry. I wasn't trying to—"

"I know." She smiled faintly. "Don't worry about it, hun. Come on. I don't want to keep you from your work."

He stood, and he walked with her towards the rear of the yard. A steady wind had begun to pick up since she had arrived, and the creaks and groans from the cars towering around them made Natalie a little nervous, but she figured it was probably normal sounds around here. The cars probably always made these noises when it was windy out. Grey clouds had begun to slowly move overhead as well. Briefly, she wondered if she should have brought an umbrella.

"Wow, it's really windy today, huh?" she said, as a particularly strong gust caused her hair to whip about madly in her face. She pushed it away in annoyance.

Horace turned his head up towards the sky. "Looks like a storm is headed our way."

Natalie pushed another lock of hair out of her face. "What do you guys do during storms, anyway? I mean—during the winter, for instance—how do you deal with the snow?"

He shrugged. "It's just colder. It doesn't really make it harder to find parts, because we have pretty good ideas where most of them are. It's just a matter of being cold, really."

"I can deal with snow, but on ice I'm a drunken ballerina if I'm not wearing skates."

He chuckled. She smiled up at him, when a sudden noise that sounded like a rusted creak caught her attention. Since the wind had started, the entire yard had been creaking and groaning constantly, but Horace didn't appear alarmed, so she took comfort in that.

She thought too soon, for right at that moment there was a loud, grating groan of metal against metal that made Horace stop short and snap his head up. The movement was so fast, Natalie barely caught it, and before she could so much as react or look up he was grabbing her.

"Look out!"

Natalie released a terrified shriek when she looked up to see a car plummeting right above them, but her scream was cut short as she was pulled away so abruptly she had whiplash. One second two arms were swooping around her, the car was falling, and then she was falling backwards on top of someone. The car came crashing down a mere three feet in front of them, its windows shattering with impact. Quick as a wink, she felt Horace roll underneath her, and she fell to the ground beside him as he used his body to shield her from the tiny shards and small parts that shot out with the landing. She felt so tiny as he held her close against him, as he looked over his shoulder at the wrecked car.

"Holy shit…" she squeaked, still in shock.

He looked down at her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded slowly. He didn't release her until they were both standing, helping her up carefully. Almost the same second she was standing upright, she was jumping up and throwing her arms around his neck.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed, and kissed his cheek.

He stared down at her, still shocked by the fact she had just kissed his cheek.

"That's the second time you've saved me," she said.

"Yeah, I also told you the cars wouldn't fall."

She let out a sort of breathless laugh, but it was also a mixture of a relieved exhale. He lifted his arms and twisted them when he felt a soreness, and he frowned a bit when he saw the problem. The skin had some abrasions from falling backwards on the rough ground, and they were bleeding. Natalie saw this, and her eyes grew concerned as she approached him. He allowed her to gently take one of his arms and examine the damage, his eyes lingering on her face curiously.

"We need to clean this," she said.

"Why?"

Her eyes shifted up to his face incredulously. "Because they're open cuts, and they're bleeding."

He shrugged. "So? Been cut before."

She rolled her eyes. "Men. Listen, I know you're big, and I could probably shoot you with a nine millimeter and you wouldn't feel much more than a sting, but I'm cleaning these wounds whether you want me to or not."

He blinked. She made a shooing motion with her hands.

"Shoo. To the trailer with you."

"I'm f—"

"Horace Mahoney, get your ass to that trailer before I make you."

He quirked an eyebrow at her, and she furrowed her brows when he surprised her by growing a slow, tiny smirk at her words.

"Make me?"

"Yes. Don't let my size fool you. I can be quite forceful when I want to be." She folded her arms over her chest, squaring her shoulders back defiantly.

The look of amusement didn't leave his face. It was clear by his expression he wasn't convinced she could so much as budge him if he didn't let her. "I think that's something I want to see," he said.

Scoffing, she slapped his arm. "Would you just go!"

He smirked at her and held his hands up in surrender. When they arrived back at the front of the yard, James was there waiting for them. The second he saw them, he practically ran over, eyes bright with alarm.

"What the hell was that crash? Did a car fall or something? I've been looking for you two everywhere!"

"Yeah, a car fell, but we're fine," answered Natalie. She jerked her thumb towards Horace. "He's got a few scrapes. Do you have any first aid supplies?"

"Yeah, in the trailer. How did you get scraped?" he asked, looking to Horace.

"Fell," he answered, purposely leaving out all of the detail. "I told her it's not a big deal."

James switched his gaze to Natalie, who still had her arms stubbornly folded over her chest. His eyes lingered on her a moment longer, before he sighed and nodded.

"The medical supplies are in the bathroom."

"Lovely." She gave Horace's lower back a small nudge to urge him forward. He did, but he was shaking his head while smirking the whole time. James watched them go, staring at their backs as they walked. Natalie was literally half Horace's size, and yet she already appeared to be the dominant one between the two. It was humorous, really. This woman, who barely reached Horace's elbow, had him wrapped around her tiny finger, and even though James wasn't sure if he was fond of the woman or not, he couldn't help but shake his head in amusement.

"There. That should about do it."

Horace rolled his eyes, as she finished up wrapping gauze around his left arm. He had allowed her to clean and wrap both his arms, even though he really didn't think it was necessary. Through the entire process, he couldn't help but watch her with an amused stare. As he was rolling his sleeves back down, her cell phone went off, and she pulled it out of her pocket before bringing it to her ear.

"Hey, babe."

Horace glanced up.

"I'm good. Yes. How are you? How was the interview? Yeah? When will you find out if you got the job? Awesome." She smiled held up a finger to Horace's questioning stare. "Uh-huh. Yeah, I think I do know what I'm writing my book on. Yeah, I'll tell you about it when you get back."

James walked over to look at the damage on Horace's arms. "Damn, she has you mummified."

Natalie shot him a "haha" kind of smile, when her attention once again returned to her phone. "What? That's James. I'm at the junkyard…. Yeah, had some trouble with the Mustang a few days ago. They did a great job on her, so I came back to thank them. Yes, them. James has a son. You know that." She suddenly let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. "Yes. Look, I'm not going into that over the phone. Because."

James and Horace exchanged glances when she let out another sigh of irritation.

"I'll talk to you later, Danny. Bye." Lifting the phone away from her head, she pressed the END button. "Sorry about that, guys."

"Everything okay?" asked James.

She nodded. "It's fine. It's got nothing to do with either of you."

Horace knew better. He knew Danny was upset she had been near him. It wasn't surprising. Nevertheless, he could tell she was slightly disheartened from the phone call. He lifted his arm, hesitating a minute, and then gently placed a hand on her shoulder. The contact made her look up at him, and the hesitation in his blue eyes made her smile. Seeing her smile relaxed him, and he allowed a small one in return. Still, he wasn't happy she had been upset by the conversation with her boyfriend.

He already didn't like this Danny guy.

* * *

**Danny boy better watch out lol. Your reviews are appreciated! Thank you to Mikado X Goddess, SamanthaJane13, and Anonymous for your reviews! They mean a lot. I always keep reviews in mind!**


	4. NOTE

**ANOTHER CHAPTER IS ON ITS WAY SOON!**

Sorry to those who have been following this story, but it is on HOLD. I do intend to continue it, but I have been wrapped in school and work, so it will be a bit slow. Also, some people seem to be confused. In this story, Horace is ALIVE. He is not a ghost. A few have asked me if Natalie is going to die and become a ghost as well, or if she will figure out he is dead. BOTH of them are alive. I just thought I would clear that up. Thank you for reading. Your reviews and support are greatly appreciated, and I put every review into thought.

I don't mean to sound cross, but to the anonymous who keeps referring to me as "woman", please stop calling me that and screaming at me to update. I find it rude the way you have been asking. I appreciate your excitement for the story, and I will continue when I can. Thank you for your support.


End file.
